Aviator&#39;s aeroboard microphone rest



-6, 1969 w. A. OLSON 3,463,438

AVIATOR'S AEROBOARD MICROPHONE REST INVENTOR. WAYNE A. OLSON glamATTORNEY United States Patent 3,463,438 AVIATORS AEROBOARD MICROPHONEREST Wayne A. Olson, Mountain View, Calif. (1341 Via Dondera, SantaClara, Calif. 95051) Filed Mar. 22, 1967, Ser. No. 625,199 Int. Cl. A47b97/02 US. Cl. 248444 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A rest for anaviators microphone which is secured to an aeroboard fastened to theaviators leg. The microphone rest has :an upper portion shaped andpositioned to be engaged by the resting nest of a conventional handheldmicrophone and a lower portion by which the microphone rest is securedto the aeroboard.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the invention This inventionrelates to means for supporting a conventional aviators handheldmicrophone in a position where it is readily accessible when the needfor communication arises, particularly during periods of peakcommunication activities and, more particularly, to a microphone restaflixed to a portion of a conventional aeroboard which is generallysecured to an aviators limb.

Description of the prior art One of the most diflicult and demandingproblems facing the aviator today, when flying under IFR conditions, isthe need for almost constant communication with traffic control duringmoments of peak cockpit activities. This is particularly true for thegeneral aviation pilot flying a small aircraft who handles both thecontrol of the aircraft and the communication with traflic control.

For example, during an instrument departure or landing, instructions arecontinually received and must be promptly acknowledged requiring thepilot to remove the microphone from its rest, make his communication,and thereafter replace the microphone on its rest. During peak cockpitactivities, removing and replacing the microphone can seriouslyinterfere with the safe piloting of the aircraft and the moreconveniently the microphone rest is located for ready removal andreplacement, the safer will be the operation of the aircraft.

Heretofore, the microphone rest is conventionally disposed either in thecenter of the cockpit just below the control panel or on the side of theaviators seat. Since either of these positions is out of the immediatesight of the aviator, it is necessary that the aviator feel his way withhis hand to the place where the microphone rests for removing andreplacing the same unless he moves his eyes from the instruments. Duringnight operations, and because the conventional microphone rest positionis not ordinarily illuminated, removal and replacement by feel is therule since, even when the eyes are removed from the instruments, themicrophone is ordinarily not seen. Since the act of removal andreplacement of the microphone requires that the hand of the aviator bediverted from other duties, any minimization of the time necessary forthis operation becomes then available for control of the aircraft,thereby enhancing the safety of the pilot, passengers and the aircraft.Further, by placing the microphone rest at a place within the immediatesight of the aviator, less time is required for the aviator to diverthis eyes from the instruments, thereby again causing safer aircraftoperation.

The general aviation pilot, under the circumstances outlined above,usually has an aeroboard strapped to the 3,463,438 Patented Aug. 26,1969 "ice upper part of his leg which has a writing surface and a clipfor holding writing material or maps whereby the aviator is able towrite or record certain information. The aeroboard is much closer to theaviators hand and 5 more directly in the aviators sight than theconventional microphone rest. Many of the conventional aeroboardsfurther include their own source of illumination so that it can beilluminated for night flight. During daylight, the aeroboard is usuallyilluminated by the natural light in the cockpit.

It is therefore a primary object of this invention to provide amicrophone rest which is more readily accessible, handling-wise andvisually, to the pilot than the conventional rest usually found in thecockpit.

It is a further object of this invention to provide means for restingthe microphone in a position. which is closer to the hand of theaviator, whether it be the aviators right or left hand, and which is atall times in plain view of the av1ator.

It is another object of the present invention to rest the aviatorsmicrophone on the person of the aviator for greater convenience inremoving and replacing the same, particularly during periods of peakactivties.

It is also an object of this invention to incorporate a microphone restinto an aeroboard so that an aviator has quick and ready access to themicrophone, thereby utilizing the advantageous position of the aeroboardfor an additional purpose not heretofore contemplated.

Summary of the invention In accordance with the preferred embodiment ofthe invention, a standard is provided having an upper portion which isshaped and dimensioned to be engaged by the nest of a conventionalhandheld aviators microphone and a lower portion which is attachable toan aviators aeroboard. The standard is mounted close to the side andnear the far end of the aeroboard so as not to interfere with theprimary function of the aeroboard, namely, that of providing asubstantially flat writing desk and a holding means for maps :andapproach plates.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will becomeapparent to those skilled in the art to which the invention pertains asthe ensuing description proceeds.

The features of novelty that are considered characteristic of thisinvention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. Theorganization and method of operation of the invention itself will bestbe understood from the following description when read in connectionwith the accompanying drawings in which:

Brief description of the drawings FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of onetype of an aeroboard having a microphone rest, constructed in accordancewith the present invention, clamped thereon and holding a microphone;

FIGURE 2 is a view of the microphone rest of FIG- URE 1 taken along line2-2 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is an end view of the microphone rest of FIGURE 1 taken alongline 3-3 of FIGURE 2 showing a portion of the aeroboard in phantomoutline;

FIGURE 4 is a partial perspective view of another type of aeroboardhaving a microphone rest, constructed in accordance with an alternateembodiment of this invention, attached to one of its corners;

FIGURE 5 is a view of the microphone rest of FIG- URE 4 taken along line55 of FIGURE 4; and

FIGURE 6 is a view of the microphone rest of FIG- URE 4 taken along line66 of FIGURE 5.

Description of the preferred embodiment Referring now to FIGURE 1 of thedrawings, there is shown an aeroboard which is of the type presentlymanufactured by leppesen & Co. Aeroboard 10 includes a top forming aworking surface 12, a pair of clamps 14 and 16 disposed on top andbottom of working surface 12 for securing writing material or maps tothe working surface, a bottom having a lower surface 18 transverselycurved to conform to the transverse curvature of the limb to which theaerobaord is to be attached, and a strap 20 for limb attachment. Thereare also provided a pair of tubes 22, closed at one end, and extendingalong the sides of aeroboard 10 and form depositories for pencils. Alighting fixture, not shown, is available for mounting on the uppersurface 24 of clamp 14 to illuminate working surface 12. Aeroboard 10,as so far described, is conventional and forms no part of the presentinvention.

Releasably clamped to aeroboard 10 is a microphone rest 30 for engagingthe nest of a microphone 32. Microphone 32 is of the conventional typeincluding a microphone button 34, an opening on the side not visible inthe drawing into which the aviator speaks, and a standard nesting cradle36 which includes a pair of tapered side walls 37 and 38 connected by acurved connecting wall 29 and an overlying cover plate 40 shown inphantom outline. The cavity formed between the parallel opposed surfacesdefined by the rear surface of the microphone and the facing surface ofcover plate 40, with the tapered side walls 37 and 38 and connectingwall 39, is referred herein as the nest.

Referring now more specifically to microphone rest 30, illustrated inFIGURES 1, 2 and 3, it comprises an upper portion 42 in the form of afiat planar strip which is shaped and dimensioned for engaging the nestof micro phone 32. Microphone rest 30 also includes a central extension44 which has a first portion 46 which extends substantially at a rightangle to the main body of the rest (also referred to as the standard)and a second portion connected to the end of the first portion, and bendslightly downwardly to engage an overlying writing surface 12 ofaeroboard 10. Bend 47 in the central extension rests on the edge ofaeroboard 10. Microphone rest 30' also includes a pair of lowerextensions 50 which extend substantially outwardly and slightlyupwardly. Extension 50 is positioned and proportioned to engage the edgeof transversely curved bottom 18 of aeroboard 10 in huggingrelationship. Positioned in this manner it is readily seen that upperportion 42, when the central and lower extensions engage the upper andlower edges of aeroboard 10 respectively, makes an angle ofapproximately between 15 and 35 degrees with the vertical, depending onthe position of bend 47, so that removal and replacement of microphone32 can be made at an angle for greater convenience.

Microphone rest 30 is easily attached and removed from aeroboard 10 byrotating upper portion 42 about the point of engagement of lowerextension 50 with the lower edge of aeroboard 10. More particularly, bymoving upper portion 42 to the left, as viewed in FIGURE 3, microphonerest 30 is readily disengaged, and by first hooking extension 50 to thelower edge of aeroboard 10 and thereafter moving upper portion 42 to theright, miorophone 30 is easily engaged. This provision allows theaviator to attach and remove rest 30 at will and place it at any pointon either side of aeroboard 10.

In operation, microphone rest 30 is clamped on aeroboard 10, just priorto the time maximum communication activity is expected, and microphone32 is removed from its conventional cockpit rest and placed on upperportion 42. When communication activity becomes light again, themicrophone may be removed to its conventional cockpit rest andmicrophone rest 30 may either be left in place on aeroboard 10 or, iffound more convenient, may be removed until such time as it is againneeded.

4 Description of alternate embodiment For aeroboards which do not have atransversely curved bottom, such as is in the case with aeroboard 60shown in FIGURE 4 which is of the type manufactured by Aero ProductsResearch, Inc., or for more permanently attachment, a microphone rest ofslightly different configuration is utilized in accordance with thepresent invention.

Referring now to FIGURES 4-6, aeroboard 60 there shown has a flat bottomsurface 62, a writing surface 64, a pair of clamps 66 of which only oneis shown, a drawer 68 and a belt (not shown) for clamping the board tothe aviators leg. A microphone rest 70 is provided having an upperportion 72 which is similar in all respects to up per portion 42 ofmicrophone rest 30, and a lower portion 74 which takes the form of asingle extension which is similar to portion 46 of extension 44 ofmicrophone rest 30 and depends outwardly. There is provided further ameans by which extension 74 can be attached to the upper surface ofaeroboard 60 which may be in the form of an opening 76 as illustrated inthe drawings, or may be a slot or some similar configuration whichcooperates with some fastening means such as corner screw 78 of theaeroboard.

The angle between extension 74 and upper portion 72 may be selected tosuit to allow angular engagement of the nest with rest 70, an angularlydisposed upper portion being shown in dotted outline at 80. Further,upper portion 72 may be positioned to be parallel either to a side edgeof aeroboard 60, as illustrated in solid outline at 70 or in dottedoutline at 80, or may be positioned parallel to the end edge asillustrated by dotted outline at 82. Of course, rest 70 may assume anyintermediate reposition between the position shown at 80 and 82 if founddesirable.

Further, instead of utilizing a corner screw 78 to fasten rest 70 to theaeroboard, it is to be understood that extension 74 may be clamped inplace by some suitable clamping means attached to the aeroboard. Also,extension 74 may be incorporated into aeroboard 60 and have upperportion 72 attached thereto by a hinge so that upper portion 72 may beraised for use and lowered when not in use, this beging in the nature ofa permanent attachment. A further alternative is that extension 74 bemoved into a special slot provided in the aeroboard, either with orwithout a clamp. Other means of securing upper portion 72 to theaeroboard, either slidable or fixed, permanently or detachably,collapsible or rigid, will be obvious to those skilled in the art in thelight of the teaching made herein.

While the above detailed description has shown, described and pointedout the fundamental novel features of the invention as applied tovarious embodiments, it will be understood that various omissions andsubstitutions and changes in the form and details of the deviceillustrated may be made by those skilled in the art, without departingfrom the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. The combination with an aeroboard, incorporating means to be fastenedto the limb of an aviator, of a microphone carrying standard whichincludes a lower portion engageable with a portion of the aeroboard forsecuring said standard to the aeroboard, said lower portion having anupper extension depending outwardly from the center of said standard anda lower extension depending outwardly from the lower end of saidstandard, said upper and lower extensions being positioned andproportioned to clampingly engage the aeroboard, and an upper portion inthe form of a flat planar strip extending generally upwardly and beingshaped and positioned for receiving the nest of a conventional handheldaviators microphone whereby the microphone can be supported by theaeroboard.

2. The combination in accordance with claim 1 in which said upperextension is formed of a first portion substantially perpendicular andimmediately adjacent said standard, a second portion, and a bendconnecting the second portion to the outer end of said first portion,said second portion extending slightly downwardly from said firstportion for engaging the upper surface of the aeroboard and said bendengaging the upper edge of the aeroboard to space said upper portion atan angle with respect to the aeroboard.

3. The combination in accordance with claim 2 in which said lowerextension extends slightly upwardly to hug the lower edge of atransversely curved lower surface of the aeroboard.

4. An aviators microphone rest for an aeroboard comprising: a standardhaving an upper portion at its upper end in the form of a flat planarstrip extending generally upwardly which is shaped and dimensioned forengage- 15 ment by the nest of a conventional handheld aviatorsmicrophone; and a lower portion including a lower extension at its lowerend extending generally outwardly and upwardly with respect to saidupper portion and a central extension at its center extending generallyhorizontally and slightly downwardly, said lower and central exten- 6ions being positioned and proportioned to clampingly and detachablyengage the lower and the upper edges of the aeroboard.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,492,034 12/ 1949 Clyne 248--452X 2,516,239 7/1950 Moss 248444 2,701,173 2/1955 Senior et a1. 248444 X2,876,022 3/ 1959 Kroviak 248444 X 2,922,029 1/1960 Eschelbach et al.248-300 X 3,361,402 1/1968 Cech 248359 X FOREIGN PATENTS 586,547 11/1959Canada.

ROY D. FRAZIER, Primary Examiner FRANK DOMOTOR, Assistant Examiner US.Cl. X.R.

